


𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

by hataru



Series: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 [1]
Category: DCU (Comics), Suicide Squad (Comics), Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Canon-Typical Violence, Deal with a Devil, F/F, F/M, Fear, Fix-It of Sorts, Manipulation, Morally Ambiguous Character, Nonbinary Character, Other, Pansexual Character, Pheromones, Platonic Relationships, Rewrite, Seduction, Sexual Tension, Shapeshifting, Strangers to Lovers, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:33:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28725909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hataru/pseuds/hataru
Summary: [ r e w r i t e ]Amanda Waller was going to get that card and escape the fiery pits of hell, even if it meant making a deal with a different kind of devil.
Relationships: Floyd Lawton/Original Character(s), Knockout/Scandal Savage, Past Vandal Savage/Original Character(s)
Series: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2105862
Kudos: 3





	𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

**Author's Note:**

> i decided to rewrite this story. i read the chapters i had posted, and found myself very dissatisfied with the way everything was written (including the characters). so, after binging the whole dc animated movie universe, i decided to redesign Hunter’s character and give the fic another shot.
> 
> my muse has temporarily returned, and i took advantage of that to create the Laws of Creation series that will involve Hunter (plus other original characters that may or may not be related to them) in other DC movies.
> 
> i left the old version up in case someone wants to read that while this one is updated, or if they want to know what this may be about.
> 
> thank you for understanding, i hope you enjoy!

The agonized, terrorized screams of their prey diminished into feeble gurgles as the light slipped from his eyes with his final breath. A satisfied chuff left the creature’s maw as their tongue ran along the razor sharp rows of teeth, licking away the thick coat of crimson. The next warm piece of flesh was stripped from the femur, leaving the bone bare and pink with blood. There was the sound of retching and liquid splattering over the ground somewhere behind them. Amusement brewed in their psyche. 

They dropped the lifeless husk with a dull thump, and their claws scrapped along the floor as they turned to face the uninvited guests. One of Waller’s men was still spilling the contents of his guts in a corner, pale as a sheet, and refusing to look at the other half eaten corpses strewn around the room. The others looked like they would also be sick at any given moment, but they kept their guns aimed at the creature despite the trembling of their limbs. Amanda Waller stood amidst it all, looking unfazed about the carnage. 

They moved closer, and their tongue slithered out of their mouth to scent the air in front of her face. The foul odor of death surrounded the woman like miasma, and her skin was drawn taunt over her bones while the light in her eyes had grown dim. Death gnawed at her bones and coaxed her towards the edge. A disgusted hiss slipped past their teeth.

“ _Terminal_.”

“So I’ve heard.” Waller quipped without missing a beat. How predictable. Strong despite the festering illness in her body.

They tapped their claws to the rhythm of _Dance Macabre_. “You have an offer for me, yes?” They asked, tilting their head inquisitively. 

“There’s something I need. Something lost.” Waller began, the mask of indifference on her face hiding the frightened quivering of the very depths of her soul at the sharp gaze of the creature looming over her. “Nothing gets past you, so I doubt this will. I’m certain this proposition will benefit the both of us.” 

They stared at her for a heartbeat longer, highly doubtful that she could have something beneficial to them, but they were curious about the outcome of the situation. They leaned back as the darkness fell away, retreating into their skin as they adopted a more humane appearance. They ran their fingertips along the sharp edge of their jaw, looking down at the humans in slight interest.

“I’m listening.”

* * *

Floyd Lawton scratched his chin, and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Is this all of us?” He questioned. In his personal opinion, the people in the room were more than enough for a suicide mission, but this was Amanda Waller they were talking to. 

“Not quite.” Waller confirmed his thoughts, typing away at the keyboard of the master computer. Floyd sighed through his nose. 

“Who else?” He beat Boomerang to the question before he could open his big, fat mouth.

Waller glanced at him briefly, before returning her gaze to the files. “Ever heard of the Hunter?” She queried in that irritatingly calm voice of hers.

“Can’t say I have.” Floyd replied in the same tone, his annoyance masked with a blank stare. 

“Never heard of ‘em.” Boomerang piped in with the nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. Floyd grit his teeth and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“No real name, no known age, no family— nothing. Only an alias. Hunter is one of our most mysterious colleagues yet.” She began, successfully gaining everyone’s attention. Floyd had an inkling Waller liked this Hunter person a whole damn lot more than any of them.

“How come she doesn’t call _us_ colleagues?” Boomerang complained under his breath, his lower lip jutting out in a childish pout.

_Understandably so,_ Floyd thought. He hated them, too.

Waller pulled up an image on the large monitors, and his interest was immediately peaked. A head of tousled, sandy brown hair, sharp amber eyes, a strong jawline, and a sun kissed complexion. Hunter’s body was made of lean muscle, all the dips and curves only enhancing the strange allure. Honestly? A wet dream in the flesh. 

“188 centimeters and 95 kilograms of pure predatory instinct.” Waller continued, “Hunter is capable of adapting to any and every environment. So far, every weapon and ability has been proven useless. Not to mention…” A second image appeared on the monitor.

If Hunter was a wet dream, then this thing was the most horrid of nightmares.

It was like darkness itself clung to the rippling muscle of the creature, which stared back at them with an open maw that dripped blood and gore. The hellish thing was over eight feet tall in its haunched position. This time, the hair on the back of Floyd’s neck stood on end at the sight of those golden irises, surrounded by a sea of black.

A smirk curled at Waller’s lips at the team’s mixed expressions. “Hunter is capable of shape-shifting. Sometimes only for the fear factor.” She said, shrugging a shoulder and shaking her head like Hunter was just a misbehaving child causing trouble. The mere thought was hysterical. She played a clip next— like a proud mother showing off her damn kid to her coworkers. 

It showed Hunter going up against members of the Justice League, exchanging blows with none other than Wonder Woman. Well, beating the shit out of her was more accurate. Every punch and jab was blocked, returned with a mightier blow that made the Amazon stagger. A thrilled look painted Hunter’s face, pearly white teeth bared in a grin. Darkness seeped from their skin, transforming their body into the monster from before, and pinned Wonder Woman to the ground. It opened its mouth full of fangs, and _shrieked_ in her face.

The raw terror in her expression was something Floyd had never seen before.

A blur of blue hit Hunter’s side, shoving them away from the woman. With another bone chilling shriek, they lunged at Superman. The clip cut to black. 

Boomerang let out a low whistle, shuffling his feet, “I’ll be damned.” He sounded mildly shaken as he attempted to lighten the mood. For once, Floyd wasn’t annoyed by it.

Harley, the fucking nutjob, grinned like all was well in the world. “I like him! When do I get to meet him?” She asked, visibly excited. Frost let out a quiet scoff, rolling her eyes.

Waller lifted her gaze, staring at something behind them. “Now,” She said promptly. Floyd’s mouth went dry when he followed her eyes. 

“Oh goodie!” Harley cried happily, but stopped when she noticed the looks on their faces. “What?” She asked, confused, and twisted her head around to see Hunter standing behind her chair, staring down at her with a raised eyebrow. “Hiya, handsome!” She giggled, wiggling her fingers at them.

Hunter rolled their eyes, and moved away from her. Floyd was unable to tear his eyes away from them as Hunter moved to stand by Copperhead, who hissed at them. The shape-shifter smirked lightly at the snake man, before locking gazes with Floyd. Those amber eyes looked him over in something like interest, and a stare heat ignited in his core. Something smug flitted through their gaze before they looked away.

“What is this about, Waller?” Bronze Tiger questioned, breaking the silence that had enveloped the room.

“This is about making me happy, Tiger.” Waller said in reply, arching a dark eyebrow. “This time, I’m searching for something special. A lost card.” She elaborated rather vaguely.

Harley pushed off the wall, rolling her chair over to a stop next to Floyd with the squeak of rubber wheels. “Just call the bank, honey. They'll get you a new one.” She sweetly reassured.

Floyd chose to ignore her. “What’s it got? Some kind of code?” He prodded, fishing for any bit of information she had to give. And, knowing Waller, it was just enough for them to not be running around like headless chickens. 

“You might say.” Waller said tersely, turning her chair to face the monitor. “The last person who had it was this man,” She pointed out as a new image replaced Hunter’s. The male’s eyes were hidden behind a pair of orange shades, his blond hair pushed back by a blue headband that matched his jacket. “He calls himself Steel Maxum.”

Floyd hated him already.

“... Seriously?” Frost deadpanned, and he couldn’t help but agree.

“Late twenties, no distinguishing marks, except for a tramp stamp.” Waller continued, as if the other woman hadn’t spoken at all. She pulled up an image of Maxum’s bare back. “An Egyptian ankh. We think he played a part in the card’s disappearance. But he’s been hard to track down.” She admitted, turning her chair to face them once more. “Find him, and I’ll slice a year of all your sentences.” Waller offered, a smirk tugging at her mouth.

“Oh, great, only eighty-seven more suicide missions to go.” Boomerang chimed in faux enthusiasm, his lips spreading into a sarcastic smile. “Cheers, Waller.” He then scowled, giving her a mocking peace sign.

Waller rose from her chair, “One more thing.” She started as she circled the desk to stand in front of the team. “This one’s off the grid. You’ll be dealing with me directly and _only_ me.” She stressed, one of her hands settling on her hip. Waller inclined her head in his direction, “Deadshot will be your leader.”

“I told you before, Waller.” Bronze Tiger interrupted. “I don’t take orders from murderers.” He spoke, almost pointedly keeping his eyes away from Floyd.

Floyd turned to him, a condescending smile in place, “Not even if I said _please_?”

Tiger clenched his jaw, and took a step closer with a glare. “I answer to a higher authority.” 

“Higher than Waller?” Boomerang asked with an amused smile, “That sounds like blasphemy, mate.” 

A scowl took a hold of his smile, “I’d say maybe we should take this outside.” He suggested, more aggressive than passive at this point. “But that’s up to _her_.” 

“That’s cute.” A smooth voice chuckled, making them both freeze in place. They slowly turned to see Hunter staring at them in something like amusement and _hunger_. 

“Hunter will be supervising.” Waller announced, smirking as she carefully twirled the remote of the explosives between her fingers. “Disobey me, and blowing your head off your shoulders will be a merciful end in comparison to being Hunter’s next meal.” She threatened, pocketing the remote. “And I believe it’s too early for that just yet.” 

That being said, Waller turned on her heels, and promptly left the room. Hunter looked them over once more before following their temporary boss. The smell of something sweet, like licorice, reached his senses, and made his mind grew fuzzy for a moment. The heat came back with vengeance, coiling tightly in his abdomen in the form of arousal. Floyd caught sight of thick, strong thighs, and a firm backside. Not a bad sight, if he said so himself.

Floyd cleared his throat and followed suit. 

“I’ve requisitioned this vehicle for your mission.” Waller pointed out as they entered a different area of the building, gesturing to the RV stationed in the middle of the room. 

Frost’s lip curled in something akin to disgust at the mere sight of it. “You’re kidding.”

“Like I said,” The dark skinned woman reminded them, “this one is off the books.” She then turned to the team with a stern look. “No hotels—” Waller started listing off, but stopped herself when Harley dashed over to the RV.

“Roadtrip!” The blonde cheered, giggling madly, and got inside the vehicle before slamming the door shut. 

Floyd moved closer to Waller, and set his hands on his hips. “I guess that’ll save us from having to explain _him_ to the concierge.” He noted, sending a pointed look in Copperhead’s direction.

The snake man stared back unblinkingly, completely silent. There was a brief moment of silence before Copperhead opened his mouth, and said in the most sarcastic drone Floyd has ever heard, “ _Hiss._ ” 

Harley pushed open one of the windows, looking like a kid in a candy store. “Hey! We got cheese dogs and chicken nuggies!” She exclaimed excitedly, raising both bags for the team to see. 

“Blow me up now…” Frost sighed, and slowly trudged to the RV like a defeated soldier before the mission had even begun. 

Floyd could feel a migraine coming on.

* * *

Hunter watched the team members slowly get inside the RV, and heard the beginnings of an argument about who was going to be driving first. They crossed their arms, and admired the defined curve of the gunman’s ass in his uniform as he went in to assign the driver. Humming in mild disappointment when he disappeared, Hunter looked down at Waller.

The dark skinned woman raised a questioning eyebrow. “What? Don’t tell me you’re shy.” She taunted. 

They let out an amused huff, “Hardly.” Hunter rolled their eyes. “I wanted to warn you,” They clarified, capturing her undivided attention. 

All previous humor was gone from her face in an instant, replaced by a serious expression. “Did you see something?” Waller asked. Although her question sounded like a demand, they would let it slide. She didn’t have much time left, after all.

“You should be more careful when selecting your employees, Waller. The little doctor has been bought.” Her eyes hardened at his words, the muscles in her jaw flexing as she grit her teeth. “Don’t worry though, he’ll be dead _very_ soon.” Hunter reassured in a light voice, brushing past the silent woman to get inside the RV.

The conflict had ceased before they had entered the vehicle, and the team was on the road soon enough. It was decided that they would take turns, changing drivers every few hours. The only words exchanged were the occasional comments about the scenery made by Harley, and when the drivers were relieved from their turn. Hunter had been occupying themself with staring out the window, not unaware of Floyd’s glances every now and then as he cleaned his guns. 

Boomerang plopped himself down on the seat next to Hunter, void of any grace. They turned to look at him when his fingers tapped their arm, raising an eyebrow. “Are you a man or a lady?” He asked, curiosity evident in his expression. “What?” The ginger voiced upon noticing the venomous glare Floyd was sending his way. “We’ve all been thinking it!”

“They’re non-binary, you idiot.” Bronze Tiger said in reply, not once looking up from his book as he flipped a page. 

“Oh?” 

Hunter looked away from the dark skinned man, “We don’t share the same biology, Boomerang. Trying to put someone like me in your gender binary would be impossible.” They pointed out, lightly tapping their fingers on the table. 

Boomerang looked intrigued. “Alrighty then,” He concluded before an almost flirty smile crossed his face. “Never seen anyone as pretty as you, mate.” The man added, winking at them. Hunter rolled their eyes, anything but impressed, and turned back to the window. He left their side to take the passenger seat as Copperhead replaced Frost. 

Floyd took the opportunity, and slid into the unoccupied space. Hunter rested their cheek on their fist, the corner of their mouth lifting as they looked at him curiously. “So, you’re an alien or something?” He asked casually in a low voice, carefully loading bullets into the .45s.

“Or something.” Hunter echoed, just as quietly.

“Why would Waller hire someone like you?” Floyd continued. Hunter chuckled upon noticing he’d interfered with the frequency of the comm lines without Waller knowing. She wasn’t hearing a thing. 

“She’s desperate.” They replied, their taping picking up the notes of _Dance Macabre_ once more. “I’m sure you've noticed her depleting health. Desperate times call for desperate measures— even if that means making a deal with something like _me_.” They smiled, teeth growing sharp inside their mouth.

They were utterly _delighted_ when they spotted Floyd’s pupils dilating, and smelt the spicy, woodsy musk of his arousal instead of fear. Fantastic.

“If you’re really curious,” They began, their smile turning wicked, “I could show you.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed with a harsh swallow, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk that was nothing if not _hungry_. “Fine by me.” Floyd said, shrugging a shoulder to appear casual despite the heat in his words.

And so began their own dance macabre.

How magnificent.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading, comments and kudos are appreciated! stay safe!


End file.
